Of the Children
by Chaotic Demon
Summary: A young Shawn disappears on his way to school, leaving only a backpack and a broken-hearted father behind.
1. I

Disclaimer: I don't own Psych.

I actually wrote out an outline for the entire story. Maybe this way I'll finish it in a decent amount of time. :D

I have been watching/reading way too much true crime.

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Henry eyed his son critically over the top of the newspaper. Shawn's eager face gave him an overly bright smile, somehow enhanced by his deliberately mussed hair. The policeman was sure that if he were to look at his son's bouncing feet, they would be covered with the usual worn high tops, embellished with marker additions. "Shawn," he began, "it's too dangerous for you to walk to school on your own."

The boy's nose wrinkled in distaste. "It's only five blocks."

"A lot can happen in five blocks."

"Please? It's not like I'll be the only kid on my way to school."

Taking a sip of coffee, Henry weighed the decision. After a moment, he responded, "Walk with Gus."

"He's sick. Has been all week," Shawn replied.

"That's too bad," the officer mused, "I'm walking you." Seeing his son readying a protest, he added, "Don't even think of mentioning what other parents allow. None of them has a policeman as a father. None of their parents know what kind of sickos are out there."

Shawn scowled. "I'm not an idiot, Dad. I know how to keep myself safe." He continued, muttering under his breath, "Not like you'd ever let me forget."

Henry heard this and frowned. "It's my first day off in a long time, Shawn. I'd rather not spend it looking for my wayward son."

"You won't have to. I promise." The boy held up his hands for his father to see, revealing a lack of any crossed digits.

The man sighed as he felt himself give into the pleas. "Straight to school. No detours. And I'm picking you up after school."

Shawn's face lit up and he threw his arms around his parent in an excited embrace. "I love you, Dad!" he proclaimed before running out the front door, swinging his backpack over his shoulder on the way.

Henry stared in the direction that his son had just left. An odd, melancholic feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he softly responded, "I love you too, Shawn."

--

An hour and a half later, Shawn's school called to inform the man that his son had never arrived. Henry, used to his antics, merely sighed and retraced the boy's route to school. Chances were that Shawn had gotten distracted somewhere along the way. Whatever the case, he would be sure to give his son an appropriate punishment.

Less than two blocks into the journey, the officer slowed his pace. He was out of the residential district now, and one side of the street was filled with shops staring out into the ocean. And there, in an alley between a bookstore and a small restaurant, was Shawn's backpack.

Alarms sounded in Henry's head as he approached the area. Academy training took over as he scanned the premises. The backpack had been cast onto the ground in a careless manner. Surrounding it was a telling arrangement of trash and footprints. The man's could feel his heart sputter, threatening to stop. "Shawn?" he called out as he eyed the signs of a struggle. "Shawn!"

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Reviews are most welcome.


	2. II

I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter...

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It was desperation that found Henry outside of the Guster household that morning, a mere hour after finding his son's discarded backpack. He had yet to call Madeline or the police. After all, if his son was just a truant, there was nothing to worry about. He tried to keep his worry from bubbling in his stomach as he rang the doorbell.

After a few achingly long moments, Winnie answered the door. Behind her, Henry could see the signs of a sick child's house. The television was playing cartoons and a tray containing a bowl of chicken soup and a box of tissues was perched on a nearby table. His heart soared; it would be just like Shawn to skip school and hang out with a sick friend.

Mrs. Guster, who had originally smiled when she opened the door, took one look at him and frowned. "Whatever your son did," she told him, "Burton had no part in it."

Her words didn't require much interpretation. Still, he asked anyway. "Did Shawn happen to come for a visit today?"

Winnie's frown deepened. "Wouldn't he be in school?"

"Please. Could you just ask Gus if he came?"

The woman gave him a strange look. However, something in his expression prompted her to comply. She turned and walked around a corner while Henry anxiously waited on the porch. A small, hardly audible discussion between mother and son took place before Winnie returned to the door. "Shawn hasn't been here."

Henry felt his hopes plummet. He swallowed to moisten his suddenly dry throat before speaking once again. "Could I," he began thickly, "could I borrow your phone?" The woman gave a brief nod and allowed him in. On a small table in the entrance hall was an old-fashioned telephone. He lifted the receiver to his head and turned the dial to the first number. It spun back at a leisurely pace. He entered the next digit and watched the dial return to a neutral position.

By the time he had finished dialing, his tension was at its height. When he heard his wife's voice on the phone, he had to lay a hand against the wall to support himself. "Madeline," he murmured just loud enough to be heard over the phone, "Meet me at the police station in an hour."

"Henry?" her voice crackled over the phone, "I can't just walk out of work."

He paused for a moment as his hand curled into a fist against the wall. "Shawn's missing. We need to file a report."

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Review!


	3. III

Here's another chapter!

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The bright, fluorescent lighting looked strangely dim to him. In fact, everything seemed less vibrant with the knowledge that he might never see his son again. Various sounds meshed together into a distant hum. The only things his ears could clearly identify were Madeline's dry sobs and Detective Richards' questions. "How old is he?" the man asked, hoary hair slicked back.

The question buzzed in Henry's head for a few moments before he replied, "Ten." The sound of pen scratching on paper sent an unbidden chill down his spine.

Richards looked up after recording the last response. He took a moment to push a box of tissues in Madeline's direction. "We'll do our best to find Shawn," he said, eying the other man. Henry gave a curt nod. However, the detective's gaze never left him. "You know you have to stay out of this," he continued. It wasn't a question.

Henry's jaw clenched as he nodded again. His ineligibility to conduct an investigation only seemed to make his wife sob harder. His hand discreetly met with hers.

The detective watched him for a moment longer as if judging his veracity. Finally, he nodded and rose from his seat. The grieving couple followed. "If you think of anything else…" Richards trailed off.

"I know." Spotting his partner watching him from the corner, Henry excused himself to talk to her. Madeline followed a few steps behind him.

"I'm sorry," Karen told him as soon as he was close enough. "You're not going to stay out of this, are you?"

The man merely sighed. "Would you?"

The policewoman looked down at her own belly as if to imagine that she had a child. "Just," she started, searched for the right words. "Just don't get caught. You wouldn't want anyone to get off on a technicality."

Henry bobbed his head slightly, all the while thinking of where to search first. Shawn had gone missing on his way to school, during a time when other kids were making the same journey. If anyone saw anything… He checked his watch. 3:30. There would be plenty of minors to interrogate at the arcade.

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Reviews? Please?


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